Statement from Sophie Walker on the withdrawal of the child rape bill in Turkey.

Published 22 November 2016

Statement from Sophie Walker, Leader of the Women’s Equality Party:

"Today we welcome the withdrawal by the Turkish government of a bill that has caused untold harm to girls and women. The bill pardoned men who had sexually abused underaged girls if they went on to marry their victim - undermining consent and trapping victims who are themselves still children. By encouraging child marriage and extending this torturous ordeal, this bill not only denied justice to survivors, but enabled statutory rape to be permissible by law. Women and girls have taken to the streets across Turkey this week to say ‘no more’. Today, we at last see some justice. Whilst there is still much work to do to tackle soaring rates of violence against women and child marriage across the country, we stand with women speaking out against the violence and abuse, and we stand with every survivor."